mama knows best
by BeWhoYouAre99
Summary: "Aaron was ready to take a bullet for you the day Tom got shot. You were standing right next to him and he pushed you out of the way. Emily, he shielded you with his body. He left himself vulnerable." Alex Kirkman is a mother of two but after becoming First Lady, she gains three more children in the form of Emily Rhodes, Seth Wright and Aaron Shore.


_Alex Kirkman is a mother of two but after becoming First Lady, she gains three more children in the form of Emily Rhodes, Seth Wright and Aaron Shores._

 _OR_

 _The two times Alex Kirkman gives birth and the three times she finds herself mothering three fully grown adults, who just happen to need her._

 ** _Leo_**

He's her precious little baby boy who isn't so little anymore. He's graduated high school and will be going off to college in the fall, and she can't believe it.

She's holding a mug full of coffee, it's been in her hands for the last forty minutes or so but she's only had a sip so far. She's pretty sure it's disgustingly cold now but she doesn't really care. She's immersed in her thoughts, when she hears some familiar footsteps making their way into her room.

It's most likely Leo.

"Mom," he says, a look of apprehension on his face, and Alex looks up, from her spot on the bed, beckoning Leo over to her.

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't think I can do this," he says, walking over and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "College. Secret Service breathing down my neck. All of this."

What he leaves _**unsaid**_ is that he's scared to let her down. But Alex knows. "It's okay to be scared," she says.

He looks away.

"Your dad and I love you," she continues. "And we're so proud of you. It's going to be okay. We're here for you, no matter what."

Leo still doesn't look fully reassured but he hopes his mother is right.

Sixteen and a half weeks later, he finds himself on the Dean's List at Georgetown. Oh and he has a great group of friends who see him as Leo Kirkman, their friend, not just the President's son.

Everything seems okay.

/

 _ **Penny**_

Alex watches as her daughter is looking awfully subdued and gloomy for someone who, thirty minutes ago, was incredibly excited for her first ballet recital. She knows exactly what's wrong and she knows how to make it okay.

"You're going to be amazing, little pea," she says with a wide smile, taking Penny's small hands in to hers, only to squeeze them gently, wordlessly offering all her love and support.

"I don't think I can do this, Mommy," says Penny, in all seriousness, and Alex just pulls her into a tight hug.

"Just do the best you can, little pea, and have fun while you're out there, and Daddy and I are gonna be right there in the first row, rooting for you."

"I don't want to."

"Of course, you do, love. You've been practicing for so long and you look so pretty in your purple tutu..."

"But Mommy-"

Alex places a kiss on Penny's cheek, and points towards the stage, where nine other little girls in purple tutus are waiting for their turn. "You're on in five minutes and I promise that it's going to be amazing."

Penny shrugs. "If you say so," she says, before throwing her arms around her mom for a brief hug, before running over to join her friends. "Thanks, Mommy."

"Good luck!" calls out Alex.

The performance is great, and so is Penny. Just as her mother predicted.

/

 _ **Seth**_

He's pretty sure he's about to have a nervous breakdown. He can't really breathe. It's 11:30 PM at night and just four minutes ago, his mother called to tell him that his father has just had a heart attack.

They don't know if he's going to be okay.

Seth's on his feet before he knows it and he's walking out of his office and he doesn't really know what's going on around him until he bumps into the First Lady.

"Oh Mrs. Kirman!" He exclaims, reaching out to steady her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there."

Alex brushes off his apologies, and is about to wish him a good night before she notices the look on his face. He looks like he's about to burst into tears and that's extremely out of typical Seth Wright character. "Late night at the office, huh, Seth?" She asks.

He turns around and nods. He's not exactly in the mood for conversation but when the First Lady stops you to talk, you stick around and talk. Especially when it's a First Lady who has your best interests at heart.

Alex looks quite concerned and there's something about the kindness radiating from her, that allows Seth to open up to her.

He tells her about his dad and she pulls him into a tight embrace. She insists on dragging him to the First Family's residence, where she has her staff get a late night dinner together. He tries to tell her 'no' but she's Alex Kirkman and she doesn't take 'no' for an answer.

The President is still in the Oval Office, and his wife has failed in her mission to get him to come to bed. That's what she'd been unsuccessfully trying to accomplish when she'd bumped into Seth on her way back to the residence.

Alex forces Seth to eat some pasta and chicken, and he's forced to listen.

"I can't go to see him until after the press conference tomorrow," he says suddenly. "I don't think I can do this, Mrs. Kirkman. I can't-"

Alex's heart constricts. Working at the White House is a sacrifice itself, and in her time there, she's learnt that work mostly comes first. She doesn't know if it's possible for Seth to skip out on the President's press conference; she wonders if there's any protocol in place in case the Press Secretary is otherwise occupied. But that's when she realizes that Seth wouldn't leave without getting the job done anyway.

"Everything is going to be okay," she says quietly, even as her conscience berates her for saying something that she has no guarantee of. "Your dad is going to pull through."

Seth nods.

Alex stays up all night, sitting next to Seth, talking to him about his job and his family and his friends and basically anything and everything, just to keep him talking, just to keep him present. They both fall asleep about four hours later, around the time the President comes back in to see his Press Secretary passed out on an armchair, with his wife curled up into a ball on the sofa.

Seth only gets two hours of sleep that night but he's so grateful to Alex. And two days later, he's happy to call her to say that his father is out of danger.

/

 _ **Emily**_

All her life, she's been fighting to get to the top. She's been fighting the glass ceiling and gender discrimination and she's been fighting all kinds of assholes. She's also been fighting all kinds of battles with herself.

Today, there's a war going on in her head, and she's just confused, angry, frustrated. What's worse is that she doesn't know why she's feeling this way.

"Whoa, at ease, tiger," comes a voice from behind her.

"Mrs. Kirkman, how are you?" says Emily.

At this point, Alex doesn't even bother to correct it to her first name. "I'm fine. Just a little concerned about you staring daggers at the Speaker's Chief Strategist and the young lady next to him."

Emily plasters a nice bright smile onto her face. "I wasn't doing anything of that sort," she says.

Alex sighs, pointing at Emily's clenched fists at her side.

Emily's shoulders drop. She hadn't even realized her battle-ready stance.

"He's in love with you, you know," points out Alex.

"That's insane!" Emily yelps, almost jumping out of her dress and her skin. The idea that Aaron Shore is in love with her is absolutely absurd. She hates to think this but perhaps the First Lady is delusional. It's a stressful life, after all. Maybe she shouldn't blame Mrs. Kirkman for seeing things that aren't real.

"That boy was ready to take a bullet for you the day Tom got shot." Alex hates talking about that day but she will, because she has a point to prove. "It was on the news, actually. You were standing right next to him and he pushed you out of the way. Emily, he shielded you with his body. He left himself vulnerable."

Emily remembers. "It won't work," she confesses.

"Because you're so different?" Alex's question is ironic, and she's refraining the urge to roll her eyes due to the ridiculousness of it all. Aaron Shore and Emily Rhodes are basically the same person. Which is why they would definitely work.

Emily sighs. "No." She looks torn.

"Then?"

"Because I didn't believe in him." Guilt hits her like a ton of bricks to her face, every time she sees him. There he was, making plans for dinner and a date and something about Elvis, and she wasn't even ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. She often wonders what would have happened if she'd let him pick her up from the conference room at 8:45 that night. Maybe things would be different then. "I considered the possibility of him being a traitor."

"I think he's already forgiven you for that."

There's a wistful look on Emily's face as she glances towards Aaron and the woman next to him. "I think I've lost my chance. I don't think I can do this-"

The First Lady's arms are folded around her chest and she gives Emily her knowing mom look. "He's been covertly staring at you for the last thirty minutes," she says. "Oh and that lovely lady next to him? That's his cousin."

Emily lets out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. "His cousin?" She repeats.

"Yes."

"Oh."

Alex smiles. "Honey, that boy only has eyes for you. Talk to him," she says. "It'll work out."

And it does.

/

 _ **Aaron**_

He can't stop staring at the diamond ring carefully nestled in a fancy Harry Winston box. He closes the box, only to open it a mere twenty seconds later. He sighs, and rubs his hands over his face. He feels sick. As for the ring, it's beautiful, clear cut and expensive, but he feels as if it's taunting him.

He groans.

At sixteen, he knew he had to work his ass off to get good grades so that he could get into a good college. At twenty one, he knew he had to accept a job offer as a mailroom clerk in some D.C. Senator's office. At thirty three, he knew he had to step up and help Tom Kirkman be the best POTUS possible.

At thirty four, he knows that Emily Rhodes is the love of his life. He thinks that Emily

Shore sounds like a cool name too. It's also cool if Emily doesn't want his name, as long as she keeps him.

He just isn't sure if he should propose three days after his girlfriend has told him he's pregnant. He's had the ring for almost twenty days and he's sure about Emily and the baby, but he isn't sure about the timing. He doesn't want Emily to think he's only asking her to marry him because she's pregnant.

He's startled out of his thoughts with the sudden appearance of the First Lady in his office. He rises to his feet in an instant. "Ma'am," he says, nodding at him.

Alex smiles in greeting. "Hello Aaron," she says, handing him a white envelope, which he opens immediately.

There's a folded piece of pink construction paper in it, covered in tons of glitter. The front of the card reads 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON!' and there's a bunch of red heart stickers stuck all over it.

His heart swells in his chest. The First Daughter is beyond precious. "Thank you," he says, touched by Penny's thoughtfulness.

"She asked me to bring it over," replies Alex, only for something bright and shiny to catch her attention.

She gasps. "That's a beautiful ring," she says.

He doesn't really know what to say.

Alex comes closer to the desk. "May I?"

He wordlessly hands the box to her.

She examines it closely and awws over it. "She'll love it."

"You really think so?"

"You could propose to her with a candy ring and she'd still say yes," replies Alex in a matter of fact way before wagging a finger at Aaron. "Speaking of which, why haven't you proposed yet?"

He doesn't have an answer for that. He doesn't know how to tell her that he can't do this.

"She's been waiting for months now, Aaron! We all thought you were smarter than this!" complains Alex. "The President and I made a bet about this and I thought you were going to-"

"You bet on my relationship?!" Aaron sounds outraged.

"Well, of course," says Alex, throwing her hands up in the air. "But I wasn't expecting this big of a delay! Tom won!" She gives him the stink eye.

But then it suddenly hits Aaron. "She wants me to propose?"

Alex suddenly wants to smack the silly man's head. "Yes! What're you waiting for?"

"She wants to marry me?!" It comes out as a question.

"That's the plan, Aaron," nods Alex. "She loves you and can't wait to start a life with you."

"She said that to you?"

"Mrs. Kirkman, I love Aaron and can't wait to start a life with him," quotes Alex, whilst using air quotes. "You better get on it before she decides to ask propose to you herself."

That night when Aaron goes home, he gets down on one knee and asks his girlfriend to marry him. Emily squeals (he didn't even know that she was capable of making such a sound) and says yes. They elope two weeks later.

But before they go, Alex Kirkman, who's in on the secret, helps Emily pick out a wedding dress.

/

 **Author's note: I love Emron and Designated Survivor is such a well written show! I'm amazed. I wish Tom Kirkman was for real!**

 **I'm totally on board the Emron ship and this is my second DS fic. Please leave a review and let me know what you you think!**

 **Reviews are love and motivation to keep me going! I'd like to get a lay of the land and know who'd be interested in read more DS fics like this.**

 **Also, hit me up with fic recommendations! :)**

 **(PLEASE REVIEW TOO!)**


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